The future of Europe began on 13 December 2007, the day on which the heads of state and government and the foreign ministers of the European Union (EU) signed the EU Reform Treaty in the Portuguese capital Lisbon. This also represented a success for German foreign policy: during the German EU Presidency in the first half of 2007 the Federal Government had managed to get the deadlocked negotiation process rolling again and thereby lay the foundation for Europe’s future. The document aims to guarantee the community’s ability to act on the basis of fundamental European values. All the member states still have to ratify the treaty so that it can enter into force as planned on 1 January 2009. In concrete terms, what benefits does the new EU treaty bring the citizens of Europe?
1. More Democracy
The first answer is simple. The community’s citizens have, for example, gained recourse to the instrument of the Citizens’ Initiative. With at least one million signatures, they can petition the European Commission to present legislative proposals. The Commission, however, does not have any obligation to do so. Nonetheless, the provision is a citizen-friendly instrument that many member countries do not have in their own constitutions. In everyday life, however, the extended powers of the European Parliament (EP), which is directly elected by the citizens of the EU, will have greater weight. As a rule, the Parliament will participate in decision-making in all policy areas and therefore attain equality with the Council (of national governments). The budgetary powers of the citizens’ representatives in the European Parliament are also being extended, and the so-called obligatory expenditure on agricultural policy, which still accounts for a good 40% of the budget, can no longer be exempted from their decisions. As a result, the representatives will finally have direct control of the people’s tax money.
More importantly and even more spectacularly, in future the President will be elected in a process linked to the results of the European elections – and no longer merely confirmed in office following appointment by national governments. That will perhaps enable a Europe-wide election campaign with presidential candidates in the 2009 European elections. If the national governments play along and take this opportunity, this election could become the first really exciting European ballot.
Citizens’ influence through parliament is also being reinforced in another area: in future, the national houses are to contribute “actively to the smooth functioning of the Union”. They now have eight weeks in which to investigate whether proposals from Brussels infringe on their rights of sovereignty or subsidiarity. This may appear rather complicated to the layperson, but the decisive thing is that members of national parliaments will no longer really be able to argue that everything was decided by “people in Brussels”: Europe will become a subject of national politics more than ever before. Responsibility for participation in European legislative processes will no longer only lie with the national government, but also with every individual MP. That is part of the EU Reform Treaty that will shortly be approved, for example, by members of the German Bundestag. With their vote, they will be making a commitment for the future.
2. Greater Transparency
New rules also apply for the Council, the forum of 27 member states and their governments. In future, it will be able to make decisions on the basis of a “qualified majority” in 181 EU policy areas (previously 137). New areas include police and justice cooperation or common transport policy. As a result, this body, which has undisputed democratic legitimation through national elections, will make decisions on the basis of normal parliamentary rules. The days of the veto are therefore numbered, and an individual country can no longer dictate the path taken by the majority. Decisions will thus become clearer and more understandable, which will not only increase the power of the Union, but also of citizens. Furthermore, when it comes to the legislative process, the Council will have to meet in public. The links to a true second chamber have thus been created, although the treaty is silent on the matter.
3. New Foundations
The opinion polls have been saying it for years: European citizens expect the Union to make a strong appearance on the world stage. The treaty does justice to this demand. In future, a High Representative will speak on behalf of the Union, and because he or she is also Vice-President of the Commission, he or she will also be able to command a powerful administrative apparatus, particularly as a new European External Action Service will be created.
The Union will also become visible to a broader public through the creation of a President, who will head the European Council, the summit of heads of state and government that currently meets at least four times a year. He or she will be selected for two-and-a-half years, reelection is possible only once, and holding national office will be prohibited. How much scope the President will have and how powerful the office will be will depend on the identity and standing of the President.
Finally, hidden away in a small passage of this complex contractual labyrinth lies one attractive improvement for EU citizens. For the first time, provision has been made for the possibility not only of accession to, but also of secession from the European Union. What does that mean for EU citizens? A great deal. After all, a withdrawal of this kind is only conceivable as a final step following deep dissatisfaction with the EU, for example, in the wake of hefty political debate within one member state. The Union should not fear such a debate, because it would be far better for internal harmony if a notorious malcontent were to go rather than stay and hinder the development of the remaining members. And the Treaty of Lisbon serves them well as a new basis for significant European benefit.
Joachim Fritz-Vannahme worked for many years as an editor at Die Zeit and is now in charge of Europe projects at the Bertelsmann Foundation
